Steady-state sputtering

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-011350",
  "term": "Steady-state sputtering",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A condition achieved during sputtering where the rate of material removal from a surface becomes constant, and the composition of the sputtered material is representative of the bulk material. This state is reached after an initial transient period during which the surface composition may change due to preferential sputtering of certain elements. It is a desired condition for quantitative depth profiling using techniques like secondary ion mass spectrometry.",
  "subject": "Analytical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "delta layer",
    "stoichiometric sputtering"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2020, 92, 1781. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in surface chemical analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2020)' on page 1814 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0404)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/steady-state-sputtering/"
}